


Difficult Conversations

by WhiteWitchDark



Series: The Flash and The Arrow [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 06:56:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7674511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteWitchDark/pseuds/WhiteWitchDark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was not how Barry wanted Joe to find out about him and Oliver.  He knows Joe doesn't approve of the other man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Difficult Conversations

Barry was sitting on the steps outside Star Labs when Joe finally found him. He didn’t like how things had ended between him and Queen. He hadn’t come out the winner, and as much as he tried to convince himself he came out the better man, he wasn’t sure about that either. Queen terrified him as a man, a cop and now, as a father. He made him feel helpless and he hated that feeling. The accusation still stung too. It wasn’t his fault Queen was a control freak but to be accused of raising his son badly… Who the hell did Queen think he was?

 

He dropped down to sit beside his foster son and stared across the carpark. “Did you shoot him?” Barry’s question startled him.

“What?” Joe shot him a guilty look.

“Joe, I saw the gun.” Barry shook his head, “I hoped… I hoped you would be happy for me.”

“He’s a killer, Barry. A manipulative, controlling bastard, there is nothing good in him. I don’t know how he convinced you otherwise, but men like him? They don’t change. He’ll hurt you and you… you’re good Barr, you’ll keep going back, like an abused girlfriend.”

“Oliver won’t hurt me. He hasn’t hurt me.”

“How long…”

“A month; I misunderstood what he meant when he said he wanted to keep it quiet. I thought he didn’t want anyone to know yet, but he just meant to keep it out of the media.”

“He meant for you to misunderstand then.”

“He was furious when he found out. He’s really worried about a power imbalance in the relationship.”

“He’s in the closet?” Joe asked, acutely aware that until earlier Barry had been as well. Joe might have known Barry swung both ways, but he hadn’t realised his son has accepted it. It might give him some leverage over Queen if he was though.

Barry snorted and shook his head, “Iris had a picture pf him kissing that actor she liked on her wall for years. He just doesn’t want our relationship splattered all over the tabloids.”

“What happened to Iris?” Joe asked pleadingly.

“I want Iris to be happy. Eddie makes her happy. I don’t, not that way. I moved on, Joe.” Barry tilted his face to the sun, “I won’t spend my life waiting for Iris. She might never like me that way and that’s okay. I made peace with it a while ago. And then Oliver happened.”

Joe looked hard at his son, “I can’t… I won’t give my approval. I can’t stop you, neither of you need my permission. If you want to be with him, then you keep that part of your life away from me. Get your own place again. Understand?”

Barry’s shoulders sagged and he turned a stricken face to his foster father, “Joe, I…”

“No Barry,” Joe pulled himself to his feet, “When he hurts you enough, when you’re finally done with him, I’ll be there to help you pick up the pieces, but I can’t stand by helpless and watch him destroy you.”

“I can’t just get the silent treatment?” Barry tried to joke weakly.

Joe paused for a moment and then looked down at his foster son, the man he had raised to be his son-in-law, “I don’t want to see him and I don’t want to see you together. The silent treatment won’t make me blind.” He set off towards his car, without looking back. He wouldn’t let Oliver Queen make him feel helpless again. Next time, he’d be the one in control.

**Author's Note:**

> Joe came out of this better then I intended...


End file.
